Celebrate Black Empowerment Day
Celebrate Black Empowerment Day
SPECIAL EVENT
Saturday, January 17, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entry: Free for Members or included with Museum Admission | Location: Union Terminal
Gather together in a celebration of Black excellence and empowerment
Gather together in a celebration of Black excellence and empowerment alongside community partners, performers, speakers, Black-owned businesses and more. This daylong event is an opportunity to share, connect, learn, grown and strengthen as we Celebrate Black Empowerment.
Schedule of Events:
- 10 a.m. – Museum opens and event kicks off!
- 10 to 10:15 a.m. – Pausing for Peace: MLK-Inspired Mindfulness Meditation Reset with The Transformational Healing Place, Inc. (Newsreel Theater)
- 10 to 11 a.m. – History of Black Life and Contributions to the City of Cincinnati Beginning in the 1800s with Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition (Sun Classroom)
- 10 a.m. to Noon – Story Stones: “Tell Me Who You Are” with Annie Ruth (KidSPACE, The Children’s Museum)
- 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Empowering Voices from the Past with Arabeth Balasko, Curator of Photographs, Prints, & Media (Newsreel Theater)
- 10:30 a.m. – Dance Party for Kids (Corbett Theater, The Children’s Museum)
- 11 a.m. – Storytime with Kristy High, CCHMC & Imagination Library (Kids Town Park, The Children’s Museum)
- Noon – NAMI Sharing Hope with NAMI Southwest Ohio. An interactive mental health & wellness workshop by and for Black/African Ancestry individuals (Sun Classroom)
- Noon to 2 p.m. – Findlay Market Pop-Up featuring Afromeals (Cr(eat)e Culinary Studio)
- Noon to 3 p.m. – Mini Gamer Library presented by LevelUp Foundation (STEM Classroom)
- 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. – Pausing for Peace: MLK-Inspired Mindfulness Meditation Reset with The Transformational Healing Place, Inc. (Newsreel Theater)
- 12:45 to 2 p.m. – Empowering Voices from the Past with Arabeth Balasko, Curator of Photographs, Prints, & Media (Newsreel Theater)
- 1 to 2 p.m. – History of Black Life and Contributions to the City of Cincinnati Beginning in the 1800s with Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition (History in the Making Classroom, Cincinnati History Museum)
- 2:30 p.m. – A Brief History of Divine 9 Members in STEM in Cincinnati with Omega Phi Psi (Newsreel Theater)
- 3 p.m. – Storytime with Whitney Gaskins, author (Kids Town Park, The Children’s Museum)
- 3:30 p.m. – Local History Presentation: Dr. King visits Cincinnati by Professor Cordel George (Newsreel Theater)
- 3 to 4 p.m. – History of Black Life and Contributions to the City of Cincinnati Beginning in the 1800s with Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition (History in the Making Classroom, Cincinnati History Museum)
- 3 to 5 p.m. – Bob the Artist: Art and Story time with Adoria Maxberry (KidSPACE, The Children’s Museum)
Community Partners & Vendors:
Please note, all booths are in the Rotunda unless otherwise noted.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 4C for Children (The Children’s Museum)
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital/Imagination Library (The Children’s Museum) (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (Mezzanine Plaza)
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Public Landing, Cincinnati History Museum)
- Greater Cincinnati Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Greater Cincinnati Grotto (The Cave Plaza, Museum of Natural History & Science)
- Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
- Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services (The Cave Plaza, Museum of Natural History & Science)
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House
- Huff Realty
- IDEA Public Schools (The Children’s Museum)
- Inspirit Arts
- Kids Thrive (The Children’s Museum)
- Kitabu Children’s Books
- Laverne Summerlin, author
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Entrance, Cincinnati History Museum)
- Peach Tree Advocacy
- Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center
- Seven Hills Neighborhood House
- Sweet Jazz Treats Bakery (Mezzanine Plaza)
- Taft Museum of Art
- The STEM Lab (STEM Lab Classroom)
- Urbanist Media
- YANI Collective
This year's community partners include:
- 4C for Children
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital & Imagination Library
- Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
- Greater Cincinnati Grotto
- Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
- Hamilton County Developmental Disability Services
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House
- Huff Realty
- IDEA Greater Cincinnati Public Schools
- Kids Thrive
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
- Peach Tree Advocacy
- Primary Care Solutions of Ohio
- Seven Hills Neighborhood House
- Taft Museum of Art
- Urbanist Media
- YANI Collective
This year's vendors include:
- Gems of Cincinnati's West End: Black Children and Catholic Missionaries: 1940-1970
- Greater Cincinnati Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc
- Inspirit Arts
- Kitabu Children's Books
- ROMAC
- Sweet Jazz Treats Bakery
This year's presenters include:
- Arabeth Balasko, Curator of Photographs, Prints & Media, Cincinnati Museum Center
- Cordel George, Cincinnati Museum Center
- Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
- West End True Gamers
- NAMI Southwest Ohio
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. – Beta Iota Chapter
- The STEM Lab
- The Transformational Healing Place, Inc.
- Whitney Gaskins, Gaskins Foundation
Interested in becoming a community partner or presenter for Celebrate Black Empowerment Day?
The application period is now open! Follow the links below to submit your application today.
Community Booth: A free booth where an individual or organization shares information (please note, there is no selling from these booths).
Presenter: Storytelling/Poetry/Spoken Word/Film Screening/Lecture/Class/Story Time/Theatrical Performance/Band/Singing/Dancing/etc.
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